Usher in an Ox-picious New Year with unusual yusheng renditions that are out of this world – and available for takeaway!
You can’t have a Chinese New Year feast without this. Traditionally served as a shredded vegetable salad with sweet sauce and raw salmon, yusheng is an auspicious CNY tradition you’ll see at reunion dinners. The goal of lo hei is to use your chopsticks and toss the ingredients as high as you can to mix everything together (don’t worry about getting messy), while shouting phrases of good luck and fortune to usher in the new year with your loved ones. FYI, we’ve put together a video guide if you need a better picture. Although things will be a little different this year – no yelling and face masks on until you’re ready to eat – we can wait to indulge in this tradition. These restaurants have put an unconventional spin on the yusheng classic, so go ahead and give their reinterpretations a shot!
Unique yusheng options in Singapore
Rumours Beach Club
The beach club is giving a spicy Balinese twist to the classic yusheng. Think lobster tail with sambal merah, grilled squid with kecap manis, and jumbo river prawns with sambal merah, served alongside fresh refreshing carrots and white radish. Even the traditional plum dressing gets a fusion of Indonesian spices to go along with the BBQ treats.
Rumours Beach Club, 40 Siloso Beach Walk Sentosa, Singapore 098996; $98.80 (dine-in only)
Min Jiang
Min Jiang at Goodwood Park Hotel celebrates the Year of the Ox with a contemporary twist. The Joyful Blessings lo hei features an artfully-plated yusheng dish of raw salmon slices topped with wasabi flying fish roe and dried kombu. You’ll find edible flowers and cute goldfish-shaped Japanese pickles that depict “migrating to a new spring”, with an illustration of the Chinese character as well. Plus, jellyfish, agar agar strips, a colourful sprinkling of veggies, deep-fried yam, sweet potato strips and crushed peanuts in the mix. Very joyful indeed!
Min Jiang, Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221; $188 (dine-in), $201.15 (takeaway/delivery)
ONE°15 Marina
Toss up ONE°15 Marina’s festive yu sheng platter, featuring a selection of fruits, nuts, and fresh strips of Norweigian salmon for a taste of the sea ($68 to $108). With the sweet and the savoury all in one plate, we can’t think of a better way to begin our reunion dinner! Dine in for a CNY celebration by the water at Sentosa Cove, or opt for delivery or self-collection from now till 26 Feb 2021. Psst: there’s a 10% off promotion for self collection, with free delivery for orders of $60 and above!
ONE°15 Marina, #01-01, Sentosa Cove, 11 Cove Drive, Singapore 098497
Basilico
Italian restaurant Basilico keeps it classy with an east-meets-west yusheng. How do ingredients like apple wood smoked salmon, lemon-poached baby scallops, Norcia black truffles and Avruga caviar sound? Pretty luxurious to us… It’s not quite the traditional lo hei but we’re definitely up for it!
Basilico, Level 2, Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715; $128 for dine-in only
Yan
After feeding your family’s artsy appetite with a tour around National Gallery Singapore, feed them proper at this rooftop Chinese restaurant. The yusheng is a work of art! Its Shunde-style abalone and yellowtail with gold foil dish uniquely uses crispy vermicelli as a base. Ingredients accompanying it include fresh yellowtail, shreds of purple and yellow sweet potatoes, kailan and pickled ginger. It’s also surrounded with a ring of vibrant veggies, sesame seeds and gold flakes for extra “huat”.
Yan, #05-02, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrews Road, Singapore 178957; from $92 for dine-in only
Mad About Sucre
The Prospere Louhei boasts premium ingredients such as house-smoked salmon, caviar, edible gold, organic greens, almonds and oven crisps. Its vinaigrette is made with apricot and peach for the perfect balance of sweetness. We like that it also comes in a petite size for four pax – perfect for mini CNY reunions!
Mad About Sucre, 27 Teo Hong Road, Singapore 088334; from $88 (available for dine-in and takeaway)
Auntie’s Wok and Steam
Wait! Don’t throw your diet out the window just yet. Auntie’s Wok and Steam is bringing back its healthy alternative this Lunar New Year. Chopsticks out for sliced Scottish smoked salmon paired with a medley of superfood fruits, vegetables and seeds. Think kale, beetroot, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and chia seeds. FYI: the yusheng is available for dine-in only.
Auntie’s Wok and Steam, Level 25, Andaz Singapore, 5 Fraser Street, Singapore 189354; $68 (dine-in only)
Mitzo
Count on Mitzo to produce some of the most interesting yusheng dishes. This year, it’s offering four variations of this iconic dish – abalone yusheng (pictured), kanpachi kingfish yusheng, salmon yusheng and the Mitzo fruit yusheng for vegetarians.
Mitzo, Level 4, Grand Park Orchard, 270 Orchard Road, Singapore 238857; from $108 (dine-in only)
Blue Jasmine
Thai restaurant Blue Jasmine marries the cuisine’s iconic papaya salad with its yusheng. Expect strips of Thai green papaya, green mango, pickles and pomelo chunks in the Thai Chin Yu Sheng. This refreshing dish also has house-made Norwegian smoked salmon and is topped with a mountain of crispy rice crackers.
Blue Jasmine, Level 5, Park Hotel Farrer Park, 10 Farrer Park Station Road, Singapore 217564; $68 (available for dine-in, takeaway and delivery)
Blue Lotus
You want your reunion dinner to be absolutely perfect, so don’t settle for anything less than Blue Lotus’ signature. Not only does this ode to excellence feature tea-smoked Norwegian salmon and abalone (available for top-up), it’s also got 20 different ingredients. That includes 10 herbs and vegetables, two aromatic spices, three types of nuts and more. These are said to promote harmony and prosperity, which are tenets of CNY celebrations.
Blue Lotus, #01-13, Quayside Isle, 31 Ocean Way, Singapore 098375; from $88 (available for dine-in, takeaway and delivery
Mmm… who’s craving yusheng right now?
